What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
-Accident pilot departed airport for currency pattern work. After first touch and go departure climb out, the aircraft engine began to sputter and quit running.
- Accident pilot was unable to restart the engine.
- Accident pilot was unable to maintain altitude and crashed into a tree. Aircraft subsequently fell to ground after colliding with tree. Note: aircraft was in an inverted state on ground.
-Investigation approximately 14 hours post accident, revealed no evidence of fuel at scene. The grass and leaves under fuel tank areas were dry and not matted down. The dirt underneath fuel tank areas did not have evidence of saturation with fuel. Dirt was dry and crumbly. However, the dirt did have a barely noticeable hint of fuel smell.
-The aircraft was equipped with a 14 gallon fuselage tank and a 6.5 gallon tank in each wing (inboard stations).
-The fuselage tank fuel cap was not installed. However, the cap was located slightly underneath and next to wreckage. The fuel cap stand-pipe vent was bent due to accident forces. The fuselage fuel tank had no drips of fuel coming out of it. Tactile check of fueslage fuel tank service opening revealed no residual fuel present internal to tank.
-The aircraft received substantial damage. The tail was bent at an approximate 90 degree angle approximately 10 feet behind cockpit area.
-Satisfactory evidence of flight control continuity.
-Aircraft fuselage area exhibited minor crush damge from falling inverted onto the ground.
-Propeller exhibited no damage consitent with an operating engine at time of crash. One propeller blade had minor collision damage from contact with tree or ground. The second propeller blade had no damage.
-Wing leading edges exhibited crush and twist damage from contact with tree or ground.
-Aircraft removed from scene and placed in hanger. Investigators sumped each wing tank and no fuel came out of sumps.
-Pilot stated aircraft last serviced with fuel in October 2024. Investigators verified statement with an FBO fuel receipt for 16.40 gallons of 100LL dated 10/20/2024.
-Pilot stated fuel tanks were not sumped prior to accident flight.
-Pilot stated sufficent fuel should have been onboard for flight.
-Investigators observed fuel selector in "on" wing tank position.
- Investigators reviewed pilot records and determined no recorded flights between 10/20/2024 fuel service and accident flight.
- Investigators inspected aircraft hanger and observed no evidence of fuel leakage/staining on floor.
-Investigators reviewed aircraft maintenance records and determined last known maintenance to be an annual inspection dated 10/12/2024.
As the FAA filed it
-ACCIDENT PILOT DEPARTED AIRPORT FOR CURRENCY PATTERN WORK. AFTER FIRST TOUCH AND GO DEPARTURE CLIMB OUT, THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND QUIT RUNNING.
- ACCIDENT PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE.
- ACCIDENT PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY FELL TO GROUND AFTER COLLIDING WITH TREE. NOTE: AIRCRAFT WAS IN AN INVERTED STATE ON GROUND.
-INVESTIGATION APPROXIMATELY 14 HOURS POST ACCIDENT, REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL AT SCENE. THE GRASS AND LEAVES UNDER FUEL TANK AREAS WERE DRY AND NOT MATTED DOWN. THE DIRT UNDERNEATH FUEL TANK AREAS DID NOT HAVE EVIDENCE OF SATURATION WITH FUEL. DIRT WAS DRY AND CRUMBLY. HOWEVER, THE DIRT DID HAVE A BARELY NOTICEABLE HINT OF FUEL SMELL.
-THE AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A 14 GALLON FUSELAGE TANK AND A 6.5 GALLON TANK IN EACH WING (INBOARD STATIONS).
-THE FUSELAGE TANK FUEL CAP WAS NOT INSTALLED. HOWEVER, THE CAP WAS LOCATED SLIGHTLY UNDERNEATH AND NEXT TO WRECKAGE. THE FUEL CAP STAND-PIPE VENT WAS BENT DUE TO ACCIDENT FORCES. THE FUSELAGE FUEL TANK HAD NO DRIPS OF FUEL COMING OUT OF IT. TACTILE CHECK OF FUESLAGE FUEL TANK SERVICE OPENING REVEALED NO RESIDUAL FUEL PRESENT INTERNAL TO TANK.
-THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE TAIL WAS BENT AT AN APPROXIMATE 90 DEGREE ANGLE APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET BEHIND COCKPIT AREA.
-SATISFACTORY EVIDENCE OF FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY.
-AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE AREA EXHIBITED MINOR CRUSH DAMGE FROM FALLING INVERTED ONTO THE GROUND.
-PROPELLER EXHIBITED NO DAMAGE CONSITENT WITH AN OPERATING ENGINE AT TIME OF CRASH. ONE PROPELLER BLADE HAD MINOR COLLISION DAMAGE FROM CONTACT WITH TREE OR GROUND. THE SECOND PROPELLER BLADE HAD NO DAMAGE.
-WING LEADING EDGES EXHIBITED CRUSH AND TWIST DAMAGE FROM CONTACT WITH TREE OR GROUND.
-AIRCRAFT REMOVED FROM SCENE AND PLACED IN HANGER. INVESTIGATORS SUMPED EACH WING TANK AND NO FUEL CAME OUT OF SUMPS.
-PILOT STATED AIRCRAFT LAST SERVICED WITH FUEL IN OCTOBER 2024. INVESTIGATORS VERIFIED STATEMENT WITH AN FBO FUEL RECEIPT FOR 16.40 GALLONS OF 100LL DATED 10/20/2024.
-PILOT STATED FUEL TANKS WERE NOT SUMPED PRIOR TO ACCIDENT FLIGHT.
-PILOT STATED SUFFICENT FUEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN ONBOARD FOR FLIGHT.
-INVESTIGATORS OBSERVED FUEL SELECTOR IN "ON" WING TANK POSITION.
- INVESTIGATORS REVIEWED PILOT RECORDS AND DETERMINED NO RECORDED FLIGHTS BETWEEN 10/20/2024 FUEL SERVICE AND ACCIDENT FLIGHT.
- INVESTIGATORS INSPECTED AIRCRAFT HANGER AND OBSERVED NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKAGE/STAINING ON FLOOR.
-INVESTIGATORS REVIEWED AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS AND DETERMINED LAST KNOWN MAINTENANCE TO BE AN ANNUAL INSPECTION DATED 10/12/2024.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.